-----Original Message-----
Could someone tell me why my system restore is unable to
restore any of the points it wont work at all the only
solution I can see is a reformat which I am reluctant to
do someone help please
.
message news: said:System Restore can no longer resolve this issue as the restore points
corrupt. System Restore itself can be fixed by turning it off, rebooting
and turning it back on. This will wipe all current restore points up to the
time of this operation but you will be able to create new restore points
which should once again work though they can't solve your current problem.
To deal with your current problem, you are going to need to do some
sleuthing on your own. If the problem is system DLLs, system file
check or a repair install might resolve the issue. If the DLLs belong
to other applications perhaps reinstalling them will resolve the issue
or you might need updates for those applications in which case you
would have to check the app creator's website.
The following are things you can do to try to source the issue: First,
be sure your antivirus software has the latest definitions and run a
Note: you should always be well backed up before running an
application of this type.
If your system is clear of viruses, open Control Panel, open System,
go to the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery,
remove the check from "Automatically Restart" under System Failure.
This will cause the system to blue screen instead of restarting on
errors and the information on the blue screen may give a clue as to
the source of the issue.
Open Control Panel, open Administrative Tools, open Event Viewer, look
for errors corresponding to the crash, double click the error, the
information contained within may give a clue as to the source of the
problem. If you don't understand the information inside, the third
button down in that dialog box will copy the information, you can then
paste it into a message and post it here and maybe we can figure out
what is going on.
Assuming you have an XP CD and not a recovery CD, place the XP CD in
the drive, when the setup screen appears, select "Check System
Compatibility," the report it generates may point to problem hardware
or software on your system. If you do not have an XP CD, you can
download this application known as the Upgrade Advisor from the
following site:
Note: If you have access to a broadband connection it might be best to
download using that as this is a rather large download.
Check for the latest drivers for your hardware, especially your
graphics card and soundcard and all peripherals connected to your
system. Do not use Windows Update for this, go to the device
manufacturer's web sites and if you install updated drivers, ignore
the message about drivers being unsigned by Microsoft. *Before
installing any drivers, be sure you are well backed up and it's
probably a good idea to manually create a restore point in System
Restore in case you have problems as a result of the driver update and
note, System Restore is not a substitute for a backup. Start\All
Programs\Accessories\System Tools\System Restore
Below are the procedures for System File Checker and System Restore:
The following assumes you have an actual XP CD as opposed to a restore
CD or restore partition supplied by your PC manufacturer.
Go to Start, type sfc /scannow in the run box and press enter. Note,
there is a space between sfc and the forward slash. You will be asked
for your XP CD. Be aware, upon inserting the CD the XP setup screen
may appear, this is not a part of sfc /scannow, rather it is being
invoked by autorun. Simply minimize the screen and allow sfc to
If the above fails to resolve the issue, try a repair install as
Be sure you are well backed up in case there is a problem from which
you are unable to recover. NOTE, while a repair install should leave
your data files intact, if something goes wrong during the repair
install, you may be forced to start over and do a clean install of XP.
If you don't have your data backed up, you would lose your data should
that eventuality occur.
Assuming your system is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive, boot with
the XP CD in the drive. If it isn't or you are not sure, you need to
enter the system's BIOS. When you boot the system, the first screen
usually has instructions that if you wish to enter setup press a
specific key, when you see that, do so. Then you will have to
navigate to the boot sequence, if the CD-ROM drive is not first line,
set it first in the boot sequence. Save your settings and exit with
the XP CD in the drive. The system will reboot.
Boot from the CD. If your system is set to be able to boot from the
CD, it should detect the disk and give a brief message, during the
boot up, if you wish to boot from the CD press any key.
Once you have pressed a key, setup should begin. You will see a
reference asking if you need to load special drivers and another
notice that if you wish to begin the ASR (Automatic Recovery Console)
depress F2. Just let setup run past all of that. It will continue to
load files and drivers.
Then it will bring you to a screen. Eventually, you will come to a
screen with the option to (1) setup Windows or (2) Repair Windows
Installation using the Recovery console.
The first option, to setup Windows is the one you want and requires
you to press enter. When asked, press F8 to accept the end user
agreement. Setup will then search for previous versions of Windows.
Upon finding your version, it will ask if you wish to Repair your
current installation or install fresh. Press R, that will run a
repair installation. From there on, follow the screens.